


Bittersweet

by earlsmokey



Category: ONEUS (Band), ONEWE (Band)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Cheating, Drama & Romance, M/M, Mild Fantasy, some heavy language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2020-01-12 09:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18443969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlsmokey/pseuds/earlsmokey
Summary: Son Dongmyeong is a baker that adds a touch of magic to everything he makes. In return, he seems to struggle with keeping a spark in his own life. Luckily, his twin brother – Dongju – is here to help. Together they fight through the struggles of moving to a bigger city and, ultimately, settle in.Dongmyeong decides that it's time to finally move on to a bigger, better workspace but unknowingly sets off a chain of mishaps that – unfortunately – don't turn into miracles as soon as he'd like them to. What is it like to know that magic isn't omnipotent? Well, Dongmyeong has to find out...





	1. Dare!

**Author's Note:**

> "When mishaps turn into miracles" is the prequel to this work. It's not that important for understanding the first chapter but there will be more characters entering the story as it progresses and you might want to check the prequel out before you read "Bittersweet" just so you aren't confused by established relationships suddenly showing up.

Dongmyeong flattens the edge of duct tape against the corner of the box. It comes out of the roll with a familiar crackle and in a few seconds the two cardboard valves are sealed together. There is a snap of scissors. Dongju takes the lid off of the marker and holds it between his teeth while he writes “Books and comics” on the side of the box in big letters.

– I… I hope you come back often. – he says slowly, desperately trying to make it seem like he isn’t sad at all. When he looks up at Dongmyeong, though, the tears sparkle in his eyes, immediately giving him away.

– What are you even on about? – Dongmyeong puts the tape aside, sitting down next to his brother. – I won’t magically forget all about you. We can call each other every day. Besides, I can hop on a bus and I’ll be here in a few hours, if I need to.

Dongju nods but lets out a downhearted sniffle right after doing so. This sniffle is the beginning of a whole whirlwind of tears, hugs and deafening kisses on both cheeks. Their whole (pretty sizeable) family flocks into their house to see him before he leaves. They make such a fuss about it, as if he’s going straight to the Netherworld instead of a nearby city. Uncles and aunts appear, seemingly, out of nowhere. Dongmyeong has to comfort and console each and every one of them, to promise that he’ll do fine on his own. He even manages to persuade his parents not to see him off in the morning…

But Dongju is implacable. He gets up at 4 AM – even earlier than Dongmyeong’s alarm is set to – and follows him around like a shadow. Dongmyeong’s heart hurts from the realization: they really are going to be separated like that.

They say you can’t separate identical twins but what about twins in general? What’s going to happen to them when they are going to be in different cities? Nobody knows and Dongmyeong doesn’t, either. That’s why he tries to convince himself that everything’s going to be okay, while they go down the stairs of the porch, while they load the boxes into the moving van, even while they give each other a farewell hug

But then, while the driver is pulling away from their little front yard, he suddenly feels the tears streaming down his face. He sees his mother’s silhouette in the bedroom window, sees Dongju lowering his head, covering his face with the palms of his hands. The sun rises, sending long shadows that cross out all of his past. Dongmyeong stifles a sob, wiping his face furtively. Now all he has to do is convince himself that he’ll do just fine.

***

Life in the big city, weirdly enough, is easier than it seemed at first. The tempo of it is a little crazy, compared to the leisurely one that Dongmyeong is used to, though. His heart rushes from the mix of excitement and unrest, as if it’s trying to match his new lifestyle. Son gets used to everything pretty quickly, though. Even waking up at daybreak to catch a bus to work, forcing himself into its crowded interior, doesn’t seem like that much of a problem. Even his stand in the middle of a park, while it sure is not as convenient as a full-blown bakery, doesn’t seem that tiny anymore. It’s hard to hate something that earns you a living, after all.

What Dongmyeong doesn’t expect is the fear. It comes with his first big earnings and stays at the back of his mind, its claws at his temples, ready to dig in at any given moment. His head buzzes with new distressing thoughts. What if he’s not good enough? What if all of his previous success was pure luck?

While watching crowds of people pass by, Son suddenly realizes the main difference between the city and his hometown. A bigger population also means there are more people who are naturally gifted. Some control the elements, some can swindle people into doing anything for them and there he is… Baking some pastries. He’s not the only one who can cast spells on certain objects and he most definitely isn’t the best at it. He just so happened to be lucky enough to make it but how long can his luck last?

Dongmyeong accepts the prospect of his career crashing and burning any second and so he works himself down to the bone. His earnings continue growing, piling up in his bank account, but he never moves to a bigger apartment, content with his tiny, half-empty one. He doesn’t even dare to dream about expanding his business: his anxieties wrap tight around his throat the moment he lets himself have any ambitions.

His family doesn’t know any of that, of course. In his usual calls he’s just as energetic, chirping on about his plans and the city life. Each of those calls is a deal with his own consciousness, a debate with his moral principles. Is he lying? Dongmyeong can’t tell for sure and that’s why he doesn’t even know how to react, when Dongju excitedly announces that he passed the entrance exams to the studio he dreamed about for so long.

His twin, his best little bro is going to be a dancer. He’s going to move into his flat in February. It would only be fair for Dongmyeong to prance around his apartment after hearing such news, but he… just doesn’t. He missed Dongju so much, but if he moves in, he’ll find out about everything that Dongmyeong tried to hide so desperately. Fear tightens its grip. Dongmyeong – somehow – keeps the conversation going and even manages to make plans for his and Dongju’s reunion, but as soon as the call ends, he gives up, sliding down with his back pressed against the wall. All of his lies fade away right before his eyes and he finally realizes that he can’t keep up with this for much longer.

***

He has to check his bank account a good few times, take a vacation day to look into all of the perspectives, and even get drunk to gather enough courage to even enter the place that is soon to become his new workspace. Standing in the middle of the tiny room, separated from the outside by a thin layer of glass, Dongmyeong is suddenly hit by a familiar feeling. He remembers the way he felt in his bakery back at home. He remembers the soothing atmosphere and the happiness his craft once brought to him…

– Maybe I shouldn’t have left. – he says into the emptiness of the room. A short quiet echo replies to him, mocking his despair. Dongmyeong clenches his fists. – No, I’m not running away that easily. I’ve already done too much to start doubting.

Bare walls glare at him stolidly. They don’t care what this particular human thinks his future’s going to be like. Their sole purpose is to keep him warm but Dongmyeong is shivering despite being all bundled up.

He decides to put the renovation off.

***

Dongju’s arrival coincides with the arrival of – almost proper – spring. Sun – previously covered by thick clouds – finally comes out and cold winds leave the city for good. Dongmyeong jokes anout Dongju being a literal sun, operating undercover, but this joke turns into his reality very quickly.

His life gets better as soon as his twin moves in. Watching the sun rise, he doesn’t feel as lonely anymore and there’s suddenly someone always up for watching a stupid TV show by his side. Sharing a bed seems like such a minor inconvenience. Besides, they’ve totally done that before.

Dongmyeong’s fears finally loosen their grip.

For the first time in a long while he starts planning ahead. He gets an idea of what he wants his bakery to look like. There isn’t much space to work with but Son still fills up an entire notebook with messy sketches and notes. Dongju becomes his secret agent, his eyes and ears in each and every bakery and coffee place. Dropping by for a cup of coffee or a few pastries, he sneakily takes pictures of interior details that he finds particularly interesting. Turns out, he has a knack for finding little things that sell the whole concept. Dongmyeong – with a tad of jesting narcissism – suggests that it runs in their family.

Their evenings are anything but lazy now. Tea and fresh brownies are still a part of their routine but they are consumed while looking through hundreds of pages of online interior design magazines. The twins compare their findings with current trends and, ultimately, decide to forget all about the things they’ve seen.

– Rough plaster! – Dongmyeong exclaims, only an inch or two separating their faces.

– Paint it baby blue! – Dongju continues just as loud.

– …And do a fancy gradient!

Their whole apartment is shaken by an astonishingly loud, synchronized “Yeah!”. Somebody starts banging on the wall and the twins have to struggle to keep themselves from laughing out loud. It’s midnight.

Next morning Dongmyeong starts calling each and every number from advertisements in newspapers and on various websites. He’s searching for someone who could lead the renovation. A painter, essentially. Dongju runs laps around him, like a rabid squirrel, until he’s finally given a quest: delivering snacks from the nearest grocery shop. While he’s combatting the scarce assortment of junk food, Dongmyeong decides to take a break. He’s already folding one of the many newspapers he’d already looked through, when a certain ad catches his eye. It’s someone without an agency… Well, it wouldn’t hurt to call them, right? Dongmyeong has done that so many times already just over the span of this morning.

He is greeted by a really low and, frankly, pretty intimidating voice. His hands get sweaty in an instant.

 – K-Kim Geonhak? – he clarifies, all of a sudden realizing that he sounds like a literal child. The person speaking to him, seemingly, smiles.

– At your service!

Geonhak turns out to be not that intimidating at all. He’s rather friendly, actually! During their short conversation he manages to dish out a few jokes, ask where Dongmyeong’s from (reason being “an interesting accent”) and fluster Son completely. He seems to understand that his customer is a little younger than him, so he gets bolder and bolder as the time progresses. He does it so naturally, though, that Dongmyeong can’t even complain.

They make arrangements for upcoming Friday but it doesn’t mean that the adventures of Son twins in the world of interior design are over. They spend most of their time running around the city in search for the right paint and all of the tools that Geonhak suggested to use.

Everything resolves when they meet in person. Geonhak turns out to be just as cheerful as he sounded on the phone… And he’s enormous. Dongmyeong’s insecurities would’ve pinned him to the ground in any other case but working with Geonhak is so easy and pleasant that all of his negative thoughts fade away. They tell jokes and all kinds of stories and by the end of the second day of renovation they seem more like friends than an employer and an employee.

Dongmyeong gets so absorbed by the process that he completely disregards how unusually quiet Dongju is throughout these few days. Pieces of the puzzle come together only when he notices his twin frantically searching for Geonhak’s social media accounts. They’ve got one hell of a trouble coming their way, huh? It isn’t inherently bad that Dongju took a liking to a – objectively handsome – painter but it’s troubling that it’s a surprise for both of them.

Dongmeyong avoids direct eye contact and tries to act like he doesn’t know a thing but he knows what kind of a situation he has to mediate now. Where can he even start? How can he reason with a person, whose worldview is currently tumbling all over the place? Dongju, obviously, has so many feelings that he doesn’t know how to deal with but Dongmyeong doesn’t want to give him a lecture about it all. He’s not his parent, after all. He’s his twin, his friend… So, he decides to do something a little risky. It won’t hurt just once, will it?

One evening, when Dongju heads to the kitchen, completely forgetting to close the browser on his laptop, a new “Like” appears under Geonhak’s latest photo. No messages, no friend requests. Just a “like”.

Dongmyeong’s heart is rushing like crazy, as he barely manages to roll back to his side of the bed, taking his hand off of the mouse. Dongju enters the room a split second later. He gives his twin a glare, full of suspicion, but returns to his previous spot without asking any questions.

The sound of a notification breaks the silence.


	2. Full Blossom

The silence returns. The clock ticks obnoxiously loudly, echoing through stagnant air. Dongju doesn’t take a single breath in a good few seconds. Finally, he inhales sharply. His lips twitch for a brief second and then his mouth opens wide to let out a truly inhuman noise. Oh well, they’ve been there already. Dongju’s just getting rid of his stress with his usual method. This whole one-man show is hilarious, though, and Dongmyeong enjoys it shamelessly. He, fortunately, has enough conscience to at least hide his face behind the book he was previously reading.

The air escapes Dongju’s lungs fairly quickly and he deflates, like a sad, limp balloon. He buries his face in his arms, stretched out to reach the keyboard. That pose looks like it could be somehow linked to yoga… Or pure suffering. Either or.

– He… – Dongju takes a break to inhale once more. – He…!

– Dongju, sweetie, deep breaths, remember? – Dongmyeong coos at him and bursts into laughter immediately. The other boy raises his head to give him a look so heavy that anybody else would need a change of pants. Anybody else but Myeong. Bravery and stupidity rule over his life… as well as the fact that he knows his twin a little too well.

– Go screw yourself… – Dongju exhales, digging his sharp elbow into Dongmyeong’s side.

– Nah, don’t feel like it, – Myeong parries, already rolling over to lay on top of Dongju. – So what’d he do?

Dongmyeong is baffled by how good of a liar he can be when he needs to. Of course, he knows exactly what Geonhak did and he knows why he did that, as well, but Dongju is too excited to even speak properly, let alone suspect his brother of foul play, so… All’s fair in love and war, you know?

– He… – Dongju rests his chin on the palm of his hand, letting out a dreamy sigh. – He liked my photo!

– Oooh! That totally means something! You’re gonna message him, right? – Dongmyeong slides off of his twin’s back just to look into his eyes, repeating himself once more. – Ri-i-ight?

Dongju purses his lips, avoiding Myeong’s stare. He’s doubting if he should do anything and it’s understandable… Dongmyeong decides not to be understanding, though. He firmly places his hands on Dongju’s cheeks and pulls them towards each other, giggling at the result.

– Look, you’re a fish now! A brave little fish that swims towards its dreams. Got it?

Dongju pulls his brother’s hands away from his face and offers him a wide smile. Myeong smiles back and nods to himself, seemingly proud of what he’s done so far.

– The fish needs to see its laptop to be able to swim towards its dreams…

– Say no more. I’m not even gonna peek, promise!

Dongmyeong gets up and makes his way over to the hallway, his bare feet tapping softly against the floor. He stops at the door, turning to face Dongju for a brief second, and declares: “May you love each other tenderly, my children!”

A flying slipper is what follows him into the kitchen.

***

One of many notifications wakes Dongju up before his alarm ever gets a chance to go off. He blinks at the ceiling above him, still bleary-eyed, before finally realizing what has interrupted his sleep. As soon as he grabs his phone and sees what’s on the screen, he can’t help but smile to himself.

_“Morning! Don’t forget your breakfast, k? Or else…”_

Dongju presses the knuckle of his index finger against his lips, but a quiet snicker still escapes. Dongmyeong, who is laying right next to him, rolls over to his other side and murmurs something. His sleep is really light in the morning and waking him up is the last thing Dongju wants to do. He decides to let Myeong sleep peacefully and quietly slips out of their bed. His feet instinctively find his slippers, tucked under it. His gaze, once again, glued to the screen of his phone. The chat that he needs right now is the first one in the “Important” list.

Of course, it is. Where else could it be?

He sends an emoji that rolls its eyes and follows it up with a _“Or else what? You gonna spank me or something?”_ Well, he’s actually making his way to the kitchen right now, but Geonhak doesn’t have to know that.

The next notification catches him off guard. His face and ears start burning almost immediately, and he can’t help, but admit he’s glad that he ended up far away from the nearest mirror. He wouldn’t have enjoyed seeing the look on his own face right now…

 _“That and more”_ – Geonhak replies and this message shows up on Dongju’s screen in such big and bold letters, that it’s borderline shameful. He has to clutch his fingers on the edge of the table to make himself snap back into reality. Well, this day sure promises to be awesome already.

_“Well, then I’m SO skipping breakfast today >:p”_

Dongju fully realizes that he has a long day ahead of him and he won’t get to have a full meal for a good few hours, so he tries to persuade his stomach into accepting a bowl of gross, but healthy cereal. He can’t agree with Geonhak that easily, though. Provoking him is way more fun, since he almost immediately drops his usual reserved façade and shows his true colors.

They aren’t dating yet, but they are… in a relationship. It’s just that Dongju has no idea, what he could that relationship. It’s basically a friendship, but they add so many “extras” to it, that it no longer feels right to call it that. It does feel right to sneak out of practice to make out in an alleyway, though, but, hush, that’s a secret!

It’s not like Dongju hasn’t experienced anything like that yet (it would be sinful to say such things with a face like his), but when he finally admits that he really does like **_a man_** , it’s like a whole new world to him. Geonhak’s calloused hands on Dongju’s neck and shoulders and the lingering smell of paint in his hair… It would be a shame, if Son never got to experience that.

The feeling of freedom is almost intoxicating. Dongju’s youth is in full bloom: his life consists of dancing, sporadic job experiences and all of the craziness linked to his newfound romance.

He does eventually find out, that Dongmyeong played a part in them… getting to know each other, but at this point he’s not even mad. He wouldn’t have gathered his courage to message Geonhak out of the blue, so he starts thinking of ways to thank his bro for assistance. The gift he comes up with is anything, but ordinary: there are no chocolates or gift certificates included, just a pack of tiles and a free electrician’s service. Turns out, having a buddy in the industry is pretty handy.

***

Each of the twins can feel that not only does spring surround them with its lush greenery and overwhelming bloom, but it also sneaks into their hearts. Both of them are hopelessly in love: Dongju – with Geonhak, Dongmyeong – with his job. He rediscovers the joy of having something he worked so hard on flourish. The realization dawns on him very suddenly:his baby is finally all done and all ready for a grand opening!

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. It’s not even summer yet, and his initial spot would end up deserted for almost the entirety of the warmer months, which is not ideal. People have already gotten accustomed to having such a handy little place to drop by for some fresh pastries, besides, Dongmyeong himself has gotten too used to it to just abandon or sell it like this. Some would say, the solution is easy. He just needs to find himself an assistant, and the problem will be solved, right? Well, not exactly. Dongmyeong loathes the thought of some random person having full control over such a precious place, but he doesn’t know anyone in this city well enough to ask them to take over the stand for him.

One day he finally gives up and complains about it to Keonhee. Their dialogue mostly consists of memes and careless chit-chat about everyday things, so that message doesn’t blend into it that well. He feels a little awkward spilling all of his feelings out like this, as if he expects his friend to solve his problems for him. The longer Keonhee remains silent, the more self-conscious Dongmyeong gets. He even thinks of an apology and a way to change the subject, but then a little notification pops up.

_“Frog-hee is typing…”_

His mood changes in a matter of a few seconds. He comes back to his usual giddy, bubbly self. Time seems to go awfully slow, though. Keonhee takes no more than thirty seconds to answer him, but to Dongmyeong it seems like an eternity. In fact, he gets himself so worked up, that he has to re-read the message he gets a good few times to understand anything at all.

 _“Oof… Can’t promise you anything, but I’ll try to find smb. There must be at least 1 person who won’t mind moving, esp since you provide a job”_ – Keonhee replies and Dongmyeong can feel the excitement blooming in his chest. He records a voicemail, in which he – very loudly – proclaims that Keonhee is his “bestest friend everrr”.

He gets a voicemail in response, almost immediately realizing, that there are two voices in the recording. Hwanwoong is there as well, giggling at Keonhee, clowning Dongmyeong’s peppiness. Son’s heart suddenly sinks. He realizes – for the first time ever – how much he misses these guys.

Sure, they text each other almost daily, they exchange silly photos and chat about anything and everything. They can even call each other, if they want to, but that still can’t substitute spending time together, like they used to. Dongmyeong takes a deep breath to calm his nerves and finally asks Keonhee and Hwanwoong if they’re free on a particular day.

The response comes through instantly. It’s about as serious as their previous message and it seems like Hwanwoong is the one who wrote it. There are a few typos in the text, so he must’ve just yanked the phone out of Keonhee’s hands. Dongmyeong hesitates for a second, his finger hovering over the mouse button. It’s suddenly so hard to ask his **_friends_** to come over and hang out, but he somehow gathers the courage to do it.

He lets his guard down, as soon as he gets the next message from the dynamic duo on the other side of the chat log. They promise to come over on the next weekend and obliterate whatever Dongmyeong’s got in his fridge, all the while showering him in hearts, sparkles and some scary-looking mask emojis.

**_Just like the old times…_ **

 

Dongmyeong smiles to himself. He’s certain that there’s at least one person he has to share such good news with.


	3. Bottoms up!

Dongju hops off of the studio porch. The raindrops tap on his head and shoulders, soaking his hoodie. The rain is pretty warm, but the thought of getting all wet and gross still repulses Son, so he sprints to the bus stop, keeping his head down the whole time.

A thin layer of clear plastic is enough to soothe him. The pavement under it is still dry, but the line between the safe space of the bus stop and the roaring street is gradually getting blurred. Dongju backs away, dodging the raindrops, that manage to stray away from their usual vertical course. It’s pretty pointless, though, since his sneakers are already soaking wet and slurp loudly with his every step.

Time passes, minute by minute, but the bus is nowhere to be seen. Dongju is starting to get antsy. His gaze darts to the electronic timetable every few seconds. The water, streaming down the sides, makes it hard to see, but there seems to be one bus due to arrive at the stop. It will probably be the last one for today, as well.

Having to take the last bus has already become a part of his daily life, really. He comes to the studio every day anyways, but when his schedule lines up with that of his favourite choreographers, he also stays late into the night. Besides, there’s something romantic about taking up one of the last row seats for a ride through the sleeping city. The music in his earbuds, as well as the gorgeously lit scenery under the streetlights guide him deep into the world of his own thoughts. It feels nice to think back to all of his daily hassles and choose which ones are the most important. He doesn’t want to overload an already tired Dongmyeong with his sentiments, does he?

That’s how it goes usually, anyway. Today is an exception.

Today Dongju is in too much of a rush to savour the moment. He simply doesn’t have the time and the right mood to accompany it. He can’t help, but anxiously cycle through looking at his watch, then at the road, then at the timetable and at his watch again.

The bus finally decides to make an entrance. It’s rather crowded, even at such a ridiculous hour. Dongju dashes up the stairs, barely even noticing them. His earbuds lay forgotten at the bottom of his bookbag. He counts the stops they’ve passed almost religiously, waiting for his turn to get off. Today is special, because there’s someone waiting for him…

Wait, no. Let’s do a different take. There’s always someone waiting at home, but today Dongmyeong’s there, cooking a fancy dinner. He’s probably exhausted from the long day of work, as well… Guilt suddenly washes over Dongju. He feels selfish for going to the studio, completely forgetting, that his bro was the one shoving him out of the flat this exact morning, while assuring him, that there’s nothing wrong with attending even on such a special day. Maybe, it’s that guilt making him rush home like that or, maybe, it’s his own anticipation of the next day.

It will be a Saturday.

It will be amazingly eventful, with some very special people coming over, as well.

Their flat greets him with the familiar wave of heat. Dongmyeong – evidently sweaty and tired – slides a tray into the oven. His hands, adorned with dark-red potholders, are shaking ever so slightly as he does it. Dongju clicks his tongue for attention.

– You could’ve waited for me to come home.

Dongmyeong looks ready to start a fight over it, but the younger presses his index finger against his lips and waves his hand conciliatively.

– Anything left for me to do?

– You can… I dunno, make a salad or something, if you’re itching to do something, – Myeong tells him, already distracted by something in a pan, hissing and spreading delicious aromas.

– Oh shut it, I know you’d like a helping hand, – Dongju kicks off his sneakers and makes his way to the bathroom to wash his hands. Somewhere in the kitchen, his bro is making it **_very clear_** , that he would most definitely fight him, if only his hands weren’t occupied. Dongju might roll his eyes, but a wide smile appears on his face instantly. He’s pretty sure Dongmyeong is smiling as well.

The best guests are coming over. The most important guests. The delegation consists of complete and utter dumbasses (2 pcs.). They’ve known each other for what seems like forever, so such a grandiose reunion is nothing to scoff at. In anticipation of that event, they cut up some salads, bake some meats and spawn in a whole another mattress beside the window.

The morning comes, and, before they can even blink, they are already standing at the side of a highway, anxiously checking their phones for new messages from Keonhee and Hwanwoong. The bus quietly pulls up to the stop and opens its doors. Son twins have a brief moment of realization, that’s cut short by an avalanche of grabby hands.

They spend the next few minutes trapped in a tight group hug, deafened by their dearest friends’ excited screeches. They even get a few smooches, although, they aren’t exactly sure who kissed who. It doesn’t matter, though: they’re living their best life (especially, after Keonhee and Hwanwoong finally decide to let them go, but that’s a whole ‘nother story).

Two entire days, full of miracles and adventures, are ahead of them, but first they have to hop on another bus to get to the twins’ flat. Time passes by quickly, as their friends fill Dongju and Dongmyeong in on everything, that happened, since they left. They talk over each other and wave their hands, like crazy, but everything, that seems like such a big deal to them, leaves the twins with a weird feeling of emptiness. All of the events seem really distant and… Insignificant. Small towns have their own small troubles, sure. Troubles, that you can discuss over a cup of ginger tea; troubles, that you can solve simply by asking your family for advice.

Dongju and Dongmyeong exchange knowing looks. Maybe, it’s that their buddies aren’t ready for moving into the big city. Perhaps, they just need some time to get used to the scale of things in it.

The day goes by in a blink of an eye. They go for an insanely long walk and manage to see most of the city centre. Keonhee wins a bet by finishing an entire ice-cream cone in two bites. His lips are left covered in pink strawberry flavoured slush. It looks absolutely atrocious, but Hwanwoong, for whatever reason, decides to kiss him, instead of cleaning up the mess. The twins pretend like there are at least ten falling stars in broad daylight, distracting them from the scene, but both of their faces turn bright-red. Dongmyeong is too inexperienced to handle that, and Dongju is, well… You can probably guess, who that one’s thinking about at that moment.

Eventually, when Dongmyeong injures his toes so badly he can no longer walk. That’s when this merry quartet finally decides it’s time to head home.

The flat greets them with a familiar warmth. It suddenly dawns on them, just how small it is, when they try to squeeze four people at once into their living room. Their guests disregard Myeong’s nagging completely and help them set the table. It’s 7 PM sharp, when they gather around the coffee table. There’s a huge bowl of salad in the centre of it, their plates are full of delicious food, as well. Hwanwoong cracks open the champagne and pours it into tall, fancy glasses.

– Cheers to our reunion? – he asks with a sly gleam in his eyes.

– Cheers! – a discordant chorus of voices calls back. Everybody raises their glasses, but before they can actually drink, the doorbell rings.

– I’ll go get it! – Dongju says, and it’s pretty reasonable, as he’s sitting the closest to the door. He winks at the others, before getting up. – Continue without me. I’ll manage to get drunk even afterwards, promise.

The doorbell rings once more and Dongju rushes to the door, so that the person on the other side doesn’t have to wait. It completely escapes his mind, that he should look into the peephole. The lock clicks, the chain on the door – now undone – dangles freely. All this time the person on the other side was no other than…

– Geonhak?

– Am I interrupting something? – even though the man doesn’t come into the flat, he can’t help but shoot a curious gaze at everyone in the living room. The gaze is quick, cut short abruptly, as Geonhak lowers his head and starts looking for something in his bag. Out come two vinyl records, carefully placed in their respective packaging. Dongju’s eyes light up.

Well, it’s not just him, that gets so excited by Geonhak’s arrival, but his happiness blinds Son.

–Well, these are yours now. I should probably be going. Hope you like ‘em.

– Wait, no-no-no. You came all the way over here, so you should probably come in, you know, – Dongju grabs him by the wrist and drags him into the flat. – You’ve just gotten off work, am I right? Don’t worry, we’ll get you some grub, and you’ll meet the living, breathing reason, why I’m “like that”.

Son pronounces the last two words in an unusually low tone, obviously parodying Geonhak. The man snorts at him in embarrassment, but the others seem to enjoy the little performance, unfolding before their eyes. Hwanwoong. For some reason. even echoes the line in the same exact tone.

– You don’t mind helping out a buddy, do you? – everybody shakes their heads violently. – Great! Now we know who will finish the salad. Get yourself a pillow and sit down, please!

When Geonhak finally sits down and the table gets rearranged to fit him as well, Keonhee pours the champagne into the man’s glass. Dongju clears his throat loudly.

– Well, now, for sure, cheers to our reunion!

The glasses clink against each other and everyone takes their first drink of the night. Dongmyeong immediately starts grumbling. He doesn’t like the bubbles, but still manages to down his champagne. Dongju gets happier with every second, even though it seemed like he was already overfilled with joy. He holds Geonhak’s hand under the table and is still completely oblivious to the tiniest of changes in the atmosphere.

Perhaps, it’s for the best. He probably wouldn’t have forgiven himself, if he ever found out, what was going down this fine evening.


	4. Round two

Soon enough Son bros find themselves in a pickle: Keonhee and Hwanwoong become regulars at their flat and Geonhak becomes an active member of their clique. All of that happens so quickly, it almost gives Dongmyeong whiplash. He can’t even decide, whether his minute weakness brought a curse or a blessing upon them.

On the one hand, they now have to deal with two airheads occupying their furniture, as well as a grown-ass drifter coming in to raid their fridge every so often, but on the other hand their life becomes that much more exciting. Hwanwoong signs up to attend classes at the same studio, as Dongju. Keonhee, who ends up tending the original pastry stand, can only sigh. To him all’s fine and dandy, as long as Hwanwoong’s happy. Geonhak brings home some useful bits and bobs and stays to have some tea. Everyone pretends, that all of this is just a coincidence, but it almost feels like they have a family now. A very dumb, but tightly knit one

Sometimes Dongju forgets, that he started dating Geonhak first. It seems like they’ve been friends their entire lives. To be fair, it’s hard not to get confused, seeing how easily Kim clicks with all of the residents of flat 1307, especially Hwanwoong. Nobody can figure out what it is, that draws them to each other, and ultimately, they decide it’s not that important. Friendship’s always great, isn’t it? Even Dongju doesn’t notice any reasons for jealousy…

Well, this time he’s wrong.

– We’re friends, right? – Hwanwoong asks, struggling to focus his vision on Geonhak. Kim pulls a grimace.

– Bold of you to assume we’re in the same league. Dongju-a, tell him!

Son, whose head is resting on Geonhak’s shoulder, lets out a drunk giggle and squeezes his arm even tighter. He sighs in fake disappointment.

– We-e-ell. – Yeo continues, catching a button of Geonhak’s uniform between his fingers and twists it. Left, right and repeat. – I’ve been thinking… We haven’t painted our house in fore-ever. Y’know… **_there_**.

“There” becomes a substitute for the name of their hometown, as if they’re ashamed to admit, that they’re not city locals. Hwanwoong plays the puppy-eyes card, pressuring Geonhak into helping him with the work.

– Okay, and what do you offer in return?

– My true and sincere love for you!

Yeo winks at him and hides a smirk behind his shot glass, downing the rest of its contents. Geonhak refuses to refill anyone’s glasses. He seems determined to put the “kids” to sleep. For some reason, Dongju has to go first.

He doesn’t find that suspicious, though.

The following week Hwanwoong and Geonhak go back “there”. They take a bunch of materials with them, as well as a small bag, made from dense plastic. These two don’t care to tell anyone, what’s in the bag. It’s not like anyone asks, anyways.

They’re away for two days and two nights. It’s a reasonable time frame for such a workload, but they, oddly, come back way too happy and refreshed for people, who have been working their asses off. Hwanwoong brings back a weird combo of a sunburnt nose and a sore throat, and Geonhak’s favorite shirt lacks a good few buttons… And the suspicious bag is nowhere to be seen.

Dongju tries to brush that off. He loathes the thought of something special happening between the two during their stay “there”. His curiosity and jealousy get the better of him. For the first time ever, Dongju, starved of his lover’s touch, realizes how ugly the situation is, but he refuses to believe it. It can’t be his boyfriend. It can’t be this loveable hunk of a man cheating on him with one of his best friends. Dongju’s just overthinking it…

Right?

He wants to believe it… Oh how he wants to, but something’s off right off the bat. They are sharing the bed, as they always have. Geonhak is sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling on beat, but Dongju is shivering. It feels, like his chest is about to burst. It’s the middle of August, but he’s freezing alive. The room feels small and stuffy, and Dongju chokes on the air, unable to take a breath.

His worst fears come alive. Instead of the usual overbearing stench of paint, Geonhak’s hair smells like childrens’ toothpaste, and his hands reek of the affair he’s gotten himself into. Dongju’s suffocating, surrounded by this unfamiliar, foreign mix of scents. The time thickens, dragging on at a snail’s pace.

At this point not even Son’s guilty conscience can force him to stay in bed. He slips out from under the blanket and quietly leaves, not knowing where he’s heading. He just wants to get away from the mattress on the floor, from the traitor, that lay there. His legs, though shaky and weak, carry him past their tine kitchen and to the balcony.

A light breeze touches the curtains, making them sway. Dongju freezes. It’s not unusual for the balcony door to be open in the summer, but it definitely is odd to see someone standing there in the middle of the night. He can’t tell, who that is, but one thing’s clear: it’s not Hwanwoong. Son lets out a sigh of relief. The person flinches and turns around, their lips moving ever so slightly. Dongju can’t hear a word, though, so he quietly gets closer.

– Why aren’t you sleeping? – asks the person, who turns out to be Keonhee.

– Why aren’t **_you_**? – Son parries, leaning against the railing. The breeze gets under his shirt. It’s cool against his skin, and that makes him realize he ran out to the balcony barefoot. It’s not like that matters, though.

– That’s the norm for me… Kinda.

– Oh-h-h. – Dongju exhales, resting his head on his forearms, folded on the railing.

If he just lets his head drop onto his arms, he’ll cut the conversation short, which is a little rude. After thinking for a moment, Son turns his head to the side, indicating, that he’s still listening, but a heavy silence falls between them. It’s not by any means awkward, but it feels like Dongju’s sadness starts to resonate with something, that Keonhee has on his mind.

Dongju lets out a sigh and straightens his back. Lee shoots a quick glance at him, before lighting a cigarette and taking the first drag. Son watches in awe and disbelief, as he tilts his head back, exhaling the smoke through his nose.

– Wait, but you don’t smoke…? – he asks. Keonhee freezes, before he ever gets to take another drag, and smirks. The look on his face is grim though.

– Well, I used to. I’ve been trying to quit, but as soon as my nerves act up, I can’t help myself.

– Did something happen? – Dongju asks, carefully watching the others’ expression. Keonhee takes his sweet damn time, before answering.

– I think the same happened to both of us. – he says, looking away. He taps on the railing, the soft sound helping him calm his nerves.

– Wait, do you…?

– Yeah, I’ve known for a while. You? – Dongju looks so confused, Keonhee lets a bitter smile appear on his lips. – My God, you’re such a child. It’s a pity, that…

He never finishes the sentence, after taking a break for a drag, but it’s clear as day, what he wanted to say. The sky lightens, preparing for the dawn of a new day. Dongju gives the light, peeking over the horizon, a dirty look. All of a sudden, he doesn’t want the night to end. His pain doesn’t seem as unbearable, when he can share it with someone else.

– What are you gonna do about it? – Dongju asks. Keonhee stares at him with visible confusion, so he dips his chin ever so slightly, indicating, that he’s expecting an answer. Lee lets out a heavy sigh and puts out the cigarette butt, digging it into the railing.

– Nothing, really. – finally, he flicks it off. Dongju mindlessly looks at it, as it falls. – Hwanwoong won’t be able to keep it a secret for long. He’ll want more freedom sooner or later.

– You know him so well. – Son’s remark is so quiet, it’s barely even a whisper, but Keonhee hears it and his expression instantly darkens. Dongju quickly realizes his mistake and backs up. – Sorry, if that was salt to the wound.

– Nah… – Lee answers, inhaling sharply. The air gets caught in his throat and he starts coughing, squeezing laughter between the cough attacks. He’s so out of breath and hurt, he has to hunch over, which terrifies Dongju.

– Whew… What a fucking life. Choking on clean air is now a thing. – Keonhee wheezes, finally managing to catch a breath. – Guess I gotta give that shit up soon.

In that moment Dongju isn’t sure whether Keonhee means giving up smoking or giving up on life entirely. It doesn’t really matter, though, since he keeps on living and a cigarette or two still vanish from the pack every day. These short smoke breaks inexplicably make their bond stronger.

Sometimes they discuss the things they encounter throughout the day, other times they share plans with each other, and sometimes they just stand next to each other silently. Even silence is somehow pleasant, when they are together. With each passing evening the desire to stay for longer grows. They’ve agreed to wait for Keonhee’s prediction to come true, but soon enough that agreement is forgotten. Their relationship surpasses their common interest.

– You ever tried it yourself? – Keonhee asks one evening, shaking the ash off into a coffee jar, that now always waits for him in the balcony. Dongju, who has been resting his head on other’s shoulder that entire time, makes an ambiguous sleepy sound.

– What do you mean?

– I mean smoking. You always tag along, so I’ve been wondering why the smoke doesn’t bother you.

Dongju giggles softly.

– Dummy… It’s not like I come for the smoking part. And no, I haven’t.

– Do you ever feel like trying?

– Hell yeah, I do. It relieves stress and it looks kinda cool too. You think I’d look like a macho, if I ever picked it up?

This time Son laughs out loud, imagining himself in such a situation. He wouldn’t look like a macho, that’s for sure. He’в be more like a teen, trying to be sneaky, so mom doesn’t find out. It’s not even a long shot from the truth.

Dongju’s having such a blast, that he doesn’t even notice, that Keonhee takes an unusually long drag. Next second his hand is already at the back of Son’s head, pushing him into a… kiss? No, it can hardly be called that, but what’s certain is that their lips are touching and Lee slowly exhales the smoke. It’s a weird sensation, but also intimate to the point, where Dongju decides to shut his eyes.

The smoke eventually thins out and they both take a step back. The magic of the moment is supposed to fade away, but their gazes meet and, oh God, everything about this is so wrong! They were supposed to help each other push through the hardships, but, turns out, they’re no better than the cheaters they’ve been dealing with!

Dongju licks his lips, savouring the aftertaste. He wants to kiss Keonhee once more so bad, it’s shameful. Why is he even thinking about this? Isn’t he better, than that?

The answer is no. When Geonhak and him don’t share a bed anymore; when Hwanwoong parades around the house in Geonhak’s t-shirts and everyone pretends that everything’s alright… Dongju isn’t better. He doesn’t want to be. All he wants is to be happy once again, even if that means becoming just as much of a dickhead, so…

He gives in. Their lips meet once again. They don’t have anyone to kiss anymore, so, when they get the chance, they do it with tremendous desperation. It’s madness at its finest. The bottom of Dongju’s stomach feels heavy and tense, and Keonhee, shocked by the sudden advancement, drops the unfinished cigarette.

For some reason, when it lands, it sounds like shattering glass.


	5. Fruity

Dongmyeong isn’t dumb. Even when the workload becomes a little hard to handle, he can still feel, that something’s clearly wrong. At that time the search for permanent workers, that could step in instead of him and Keonhee, is still afoot, but now he also has to consider new opportunities to advertise the bakery, as well as setting up a delivery service, and… Let’s say it’s all a bit much.

Son doesn’t want to go back to the colourless world he used to live in before, but the atmosphere at home is too sour for him to handle. When he’s already forced to shoulder such a burden, the added guilt is the last straw that makes him give in to the pressure. He even starts to envy Geonhak and Hwanwoong who are so preoccupied with each other that they don’t notice how foul and noxious the air around them feels.

Exhibit A: Geonhak spoon-feeds Yeo some chicken from his plate, with such a blissful expression on his face that Dongju – who has previously been cleaning the windowsill – looks about ready to puke. Dongmyeong can’t blame him, in all honesty. He feels sick to the stomach watching all of that, as well, but he’s lost on what he can do to make it stop.

Thoughts rush through his head, as he desperately looks for an answer, but the only right one almost flies under his radar. He doesn’t need to be worrying about four (almost) grown-up men and their troubles. He can just forget about all of the friendships and bonds, and… No, no he can’t. It’s his brother who’s suffering! It doesn’t matter that Dongju is his own person now. Dongmyeong can’t leave him alone in such tough times.

Dongju might be his own person, but he’s also young, distressed and unable to think straight. The only thing that’s left is hope, so Dongmyeong hopes that his twin doesn’t rush into any potentially harmful decisions. Of course, he can just try and talk to Dongju about all of the things that’s been going down, but it seems so hard… That Son accidentally brings all of that up to Keonhee who looks like the last sane person in the entire flat.

This is the first mistake that Dongmyeong makes. Keonhee might **_seem_** sane, but he’s just as bad as anyone else. Where Dongju would’ve cried and thrashed around the room, Lee gives him a blank, dead stare. He barely says anything (which is peculiar, to say the least), and it horrifies Son. He feels like all of his attempts at peacemaking fail, before they’re even conceived, but his guilt won’t let him just pretend like he doesn’t care. It pokes its ugly head from behind his shoulders and whispers in his ear, words as deadly as venom. It doesn’t have anything nice to say, but Dongmyeong has to pull through with a smile on his face…

He’s only human though. Even if he desperately wants to, he can’t be perfect. His patience shatters into dozens of pieces and so does the poor, poor pitcher that he just so happens to be holding in the wrong place at the wrong time. He doesn’t even remember if his grip weakened or if he willfully threw the pitcher to the floor just to make it stop.

The sound of shattering glass pierces his eardrums. He’s only got a second before Keonhee and Dongju turn around, pinning him down with hateful gazes.

He wasn’t supposed to be there. He wasn’t supposed to see… He interrupted something that could’ve been beautiful and he can’t help but hate himself for it. He wants to run, to hide somewhere where no one can find him, but instead he lets out a bitter snicker and – painfully slowly – spins around on his heels. His vision is a blur, and all that’s left to him is to rush back, dragged along by his own shame.

A slightly disheveled Hwanwoong meets him in the living room. He shuffles awkwardly along the side of the mattress, still dazed after being woken up by the noise. Geonhak, on the other hand, sleeps peacefully as ever.

– Whas-s goin’ on? – Yeo slurs, barely managing to focus his gaze on Dongmyeong’s face. Instead of a proper answer, Son just shakes his head, dashing around the room. He feels like his legs will become one with the flooring, if he stops even for a split second, like his heart will stop and his fears will beat him to the death. There will be no Son Dongmyeong anymore.

_Perhaps, that would fix everything?_

His body is insistent on fighting against his mind, though. It makes him take step after step, dress up and throw a few necessities into his backpack before heading out. Dongju keeps calling his name and even follows him downstairs, but Myeong can barely hear him. It’s as if a wall appeared between them in a matter of a few minutes, and Dongmyeong isn’t willing to break it down.

His way over to the bakery is a blur: he doesn’t remember sitting down at one of the tables, nor does he remember rejecting numerous calls. When his alarm finally wakes him up, and he checks his phone to turn it off, he can’t help but smile. Myeong’s chest swells up with a warm, fuzzy feeling. No one has called him throughout the night, but great many new texts are there, waiting for him.

He finally turns off the annoying signal and gets up. His body complies reluctantly, seemingly trying to get back at him for the uncomfortable pose he fell asleep in. Everything feels different from last night, though. Dongmyeong is finally the one in control. He’s slowly but surely stabilizing, and it’s, honestly, the best thing that could happen to him.

Son blinks a few times, suddenly realizing how dark it is inside. He pulls on a handle and thick fabric of the curtain slides up, letting in some light. It’s almost 6 AM, but the Sun is still slacking off. It hasn’t even peeked over the horizon yet. Dongmyeong is hit with a sudden realization: autumn has arrived. He lets out a bitter smirk, thinking of how his sun has set, too, but this thought crosses his mind for no longer than a mere second – the very next one he has to face his (very concerned) brother.

Dongju is visibly disheveled: his eyes are puffy from crying and his nose is bright red from the morning cold. He knocks on the thick glass of the window, and Dongmyeong is too embarrassed to look him in the eye. This whole situation is absurd. His twin is outside, freezing, and God knows how long he’s actually been there. He’s been crying too…

The door opens silently. It takes Dongju two long strides to get inside and pull Dongmyeong into a tight hug. The elder’s thin jacket immediately gets soaked at the shoulder. Myeong gingerly hugs him back.

– I’m sorry, – he mutters under his breath, trying to blink away the tears, welling up in his eyes. – I’m so sorry…

– Don’t apologize, – Dongju cuts him off in a weak, shaky voice. – I’m the one who should be sorry. I should’ve talked to you more, should’ve told you about… that.

Dongmyeong sniffles. It hurts to be in a situation like that, but it’s a weird kind of pain. He licks his lips nervously, feeling the bitter tears at the tip of his tongue, yet there’s a hint of sweetness to them. His vision is blurry, but he finally notices the onlooker leaning against the doorframe. He smiles, and it’s completely genuine.

– Smoking’s prohibited, mister! You wanna be fined?

Keonhee laughs and shakes the ash off onto the pavement. It’s too early for someone to really notice and actually fine him, and Dongmyeong doesn’t mind it as much. He just wants to make a stink.

It’s a little odd, but Son doesn’t feel any resentment towards Keonhee. Sure, he kissed Dongju, but that doesn’t feel wrong. The only thing dampening Dongmyeong’s mood is the fact that he can’t change anything, and it makes him realize how desperately he wants to control everything in his life. It isn’t healthy, so he decides to… just let it go.

Sometimes fate is more powerful than any magic could ever be. It’s a simple truth, but it’s hard to accept it when you’ve been relying on the supernatural for the entirety of your life. He has to accept it at a time like this, though. Hwanwoong and Geonhak were meant to be and no magical pastries could change this. One way or another they would’ve found each other. It’s just ironic that it happened… like this.

All of their troubles seem to solve themselves almost in an instant: after the whole pitcher debacle that all of the eyewitnesses prefer to forget about, the mattress duo suspiciously quickly packs up their stuff and moves to Geonhak’s place. No one cares enough to ask them why they couldn’t have done that earlier but as soon as it’s just the three of them left in the flat the atmosphere lightens. Keonhee’s the only one who knows that his prophecy came true and he decides to keep it a secret, though he can’t help but smile mysteriously from time to time. Dongju figures it out pretty quickly. Dongmyeong doesn’t figure it out at all but he isn’t too concerned about it.

Myeong opens all of the windows, letting in the chilly October winds, while the energetic duo of his roommates makes a futile attempt at stuffing the mattress into the wardrobe. He looks at them over his shoulder and hides a thoughtful smile behind the palm of his hand. Keonhee and Dongju are actually very similar, and it’s, honestly, baffling how none of them have ever realized it, having lived in such close proximity for so long.

Even being as deep in his own thoughts as Dongmyeong usually is, he can’t help but notice how (disgustingly) happy both of them are. At that exact moment they’re arguing over who of them has got the curliest hands, but it’s kind of endearing seeing them like this. Even though it’s not a real fight, Keonhee gets so fired up that he accidentally lets go of the side he’s been holding. Dongju lets out a deep sigh full of pretend frustration and throws his side to the floor as well. The stuffed betrayer quickly unfolds itself and is once again sprawled across the living room floor.

– We can just leave it be, can’t we? – Keonhee asks half-heartedly. The sole thought of having to restart the whole process terrifies him. – We can sleep on it or something..

– Sleeping on the floor in the middle of October? – Son raises an eyebrow at him. – You do it, then, genius. I’ll happily stay on the sofa.

Keonhee lets out a weary sigh and bends over to pick his side of the mattress up but Dongju slaps his wrist for whatever reason.

The mattress – obviously – stays on the floor. Dongmyeong hears a loud smooch. At any other given moment that would’ve sent him into a fit of rage but now he just stares out of the window, pretending to exist in a completely different reality. If he learned anything over the course of these few months, it’s not to get himself involved in others’ relationships.

– You up for tea?

… And this is completely normal, as well. This house was full of sudden occurrences even when it was just Dongmyeong living there. These days it’s just pure chaos but who said chaos can’t be fun?

– We’re having the fruity one, then.

– Ew! It reeks of chemicals, Dongmyeong, ew-w-w! – Dongju whines, already heading over to the kitchen to check if the kettle has any water in it. He’ll most definitely boil some and make the “stinky” fruity tea for all of them, and Keonhee will whip out some of the leftovers from his stand. Everyone knows their role and their family, having shrunk a little bit, is finally working better than ever. Dongmyeong can only pray it stays like this forever.

– So… – Keonhee starts mundanely. – I ringed that girl, and she said she can take over the stand on weekends. I’ll bring the bike next week, and we’ll see how it goes.

Myeong stares at him blankly for a second or two, clutching a piece of a pastry with his fingers just to throw it down to the table. His gaze shoots up to his twin’s face

– Excuse me, but I’m gonna kiss your man.

Dongju chuckles and makes a wide inviting gesture, as if to say that he’ll allow it on such an occasion. This little detail, uttered in such a plain tone, is anything but ordinary. It actually is a huge breakthrough for the three of them! Having Keonhee free at least on the weekends means he’ll be able to handle the delivery. Having the delivery up and running means additional profit, and additional profit means…

– We’re moving, boys! – Dongmyeong exclaims, for some reason smacking the table instead of kissing his friend. Dongju’s eyes light up so bright, that Myeong jokingly covers his eyes. Somewhere on his right Keonhee – clearly satisfied with the news – concludes that they don’t need to pack up the mattress after all.

_Turns out, dreams come true even in the boring world of adulthood._


End file.
